Soren was in the cave again
The cave was darker this time. The air felt thicker, like the stone walls themselves were pressing inward. His lungs burned as he stumbled across the uneven ground, slipping in something wet beneath his feet. When he looked down he saw blood spreading across the rock, dark and shining in the faint red glow from somewhere deep in the cavern
"Soren…"
The voice came from behind him
Weak
Choking
He turned slowly
Adrian was on the ground where he had fallen before, his body twisted against the stone. Blood poured from the side of his shattered head, running across the cave floor in thick rivers. His eyes were open and locked onto Soren
"You said we'd survive together"
Adrian tried to lift a hand toward him, but the arm trembled violently. Blood bubbled at his lips when he tried to speak again
"Why…?"
Soren wanted to move. Wanted to say something. But his legs would not respond. His hands were still holding the rock, slick with blood. Adrian's gaze shifted to it
"You killed me"
The words echoed strangely against the cave walls
Soren's grip tightened around the stone as if something else was controlling his body. He watched himself raise it again. Adrian's eyes widened in terror, exactly the same as before
"Soren wait"
The rock came down
The sound of bone cracking exploded through the cave
Soren jolted awake with a violent gasp
Cold air filled his lungs as he sucked in breath after breath. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs and sweat soaked his clothes, clinging to his skin like ice water. For a moment the darkness around him felt exactly like the cave and he expected to smell blood again. Instead there was the scent of damp earth, leather, and smoke
His head throbbed sharply
Pain pulsed from the side of his skull where Draven had struck him earlier. The ache spread through his temples and down the back of his neck, leaving his thoughts sluggish and heavy
Soren blinked slowly and tried to move his hands
Metal stopped him
His wrists were locked behind his back with thick iron restraints that hummed faintly with magic. The moment he focused inward he felt the truth of it. His mana was sealed. The familiar current of power inside him was cut off completely, blocked by the enchanted cuffs digging into his skin
His sword was gone too
That realization settled quietly in his chest as he lifted his gaze
The three men who had captured him were only a few steps away. They were standing around a small campfire, calmly preparing their gear for travel like this was just another routine job. Packs were tied, ropes checked, blades cleaned. The crackle of burning wood filled the early morning air
Draven sat on a fallen log while sharpening a dagger with slow practiced movements. The man looked perfectly relaxed. Nearby Korr was adjusting the straps of his armour while grinning to himself
"Easy money," Korr said with a chuckle. "I still can't believe the price on this kid's head"
Draven smirked faintly but said nothing
Thalen stood closer to Soren. He crouched beside him and carefully inspected the mana-sealing restraints around Soren's wrists. His expression was calm and focused as his fingers tested the lock and the runes carved into the metal
"Still holding," Thalen said quietly
"Good," Korr replied. "Would hate for our prize to run off"
He glanced over toward Soren and his grin widened slightly.
"Though honestly the annoying part is the bounty rules," Korr continued as he stretched his arms. "Have to bring him back alive. Makes things inconvenient"
Draven finally spoke without looking up from his blade
"Alive means paid"
"Yeah yeah," Korr muttered. "Still annoying"
His eyes flicked toward Soren again
"Would've been simpler otherwise"
Soren remained silent
His breathing had already slowed. The cold sweat from the nightmare still clung to his skin but his expression had settled into something blank and distant. Instead of struggling he carefully studied the three men in front of him. Every movement. Every habit. Every careless detail
Inside his chest the panic from earlier twisted slowly into something colder
Hatred
He could feel it settling deep in his bones, steady and sharp
Of course this happened again
Of course the moment he survived something worse the world found another way to drag him down. It felt almost laughable at this point. No matter what he did he never caught a break. Every step forward just led to another trap waiting for him
And once again he was alone
Soren lowered his gaze slightly as those thoughts settled in his mind. Adrian was gone. The only person who had truly stayed by his side through everything was dead by his own hands. And the others who once travelled with him had already made their choice
Dorian. Anya. Noah
They looked at him like he was nothing more than a monster. A murderer. They dismissed him without hesitation the moment things became difficult. To them his desperation and survival meant nothing
Betrayal
That was all it was
Soren slowly flexed his fingers against the restraints even though they did not move. The metal remained firm around his wrists, humming quietly with sealed magic
It didn't matter
He would find a way
He always did
His eyes lifted again toward the three bounty hunters as they continued packing their supplies
They thought this was over
They thought they had already won
Soren felt the hatred settle completely inside his chest as one simple promise formed in his mind
He would get out
Soren said nothing
After waking from the nightmare he remained exactly where they had left him, sitting against the cold stone wall with his hands bound behind his back. The mana sealing restraints were tight enough that the metal bit into his wrists whenever he shifted even slightly. The faint hum of the runes carved into the cuffs reminded him constantly that his mana was completely sealed away. He could repeat the same trick of blowing up his hands to escape the cuffs, but how would he escape the three skilled bounty hunters infront of him whilst in an enclosed space? So instead of fighting it he simply watched
The three men had already finished putting out the small fire and were gathering the rest of their things. Their voices carried easily through the quiet forest as they spoke among themselves, seemingly unconcerned with the prisoner only a few steps away
Draven rolled his shoulders and adjusted the straps of his pack before glancing toward the dark treeline
"We should move soon," he said. "The sooner we get back to Stormguard the sooner we get paid"
Korr laughed softly as he kicked dirt over the last glowing embers of the fire
"Not like anyone else has caught him yet," he said. "Hard to believe a kid like that caused this much trouble"
Draven gave a quiet grunt in response but Thalen spoke instead
"Other hunters will still be looking," he said calmly. "The bounty is too large for people to give up easily"
Korr shrugged
"Let them look"
"That's exactly the problem," Thalen replied. "If we travel openly someone will eventually recognize him"
Draven nodded slightly
"He's right"
Korr frowned
"So what then?"
Draven gestured vaguely toward the forest around them
"We stay off the main roads. Move at night"
Korr sighed in irritation
"Through monster territory?"
"Yes," Draven answered. "Most people avoid those areas. If we stay in the deeper forest we are less likely to run into other hunters"
Korr rubbed the back of his neck
"And if monsters attack?"
Draven gave a small shrug
"We deal with them"
There was a short pause before Korr muttered something under his breath
"Still annoying"
Draven ignored the complaint and continued speaking
"We only pass through villages when we absolutely need supplies. Water, food, maybe a place to rest for a few hours if things get bad"
"And how long do you think this trip takes?" Korr asked
"Three days if we move quickly," Draven said
"Four if we have to slow down"
Korr whistled quietly
"Four days babysitting this kid"
His gaze flicked toward Soren and he smirked slightly
"Better be worth it"
Throughout the entire conversation Soren remained silent
He kept his expression calm and distant while listening to every word. Every small detail settled quietly into his mind. The route they planned to take. The time it would take to reach the Stormguard Kingdom. Their concern about other bounty hunters finding them
Three to four days
That was how long he had
He lowered his gaze slightly, appearing almost tired as he sat there against the rock. But behind that quiet exterior his thoughts were already moving carefully, slowly piecing together everything he could use
Across the clearing Thalen had finished packing his things and was now checking the restraints around Soren's wrists again
The poison mage crouched down in front of him, examining the cuffs with practiced eyes. His fingers brushed lightly over the runes before tugging the chain connecting them
Secure
Satisfied, Thalen leaned back slightly. But he did not stand up immediately and instead his dark eyes studied Soren closely. Something about the boy felt wrong
'Something about this kid is weird'
Thalen studied him quietly
'A moment ago he looked like any reckless idiot jumping into a swarm of monsters. If we hadn't stepped in he would have been dead already'
His gaze lingered on Soren's face
'So he's either brave… or just stupid'
But that thought didn't match what he was seeing now
Soren sat completely still against the stone with his hands bound behind him. His posture was relaxed, his breathing steady, his eyes calmly moving between the three of them
'So why is he so calm now?'
Thalen frowned slightly
'Anyone waking up like this would panic'
He glanced down briefly at the restraints again. He was clearly restrained there was nothing he could do
'Most people would be shouting by now. Angry. Trying to break the restraints. Begging. Threatening us. Something'
But Soren did none of that
He just sat there
Watching
Quiet
'He hasn't even moved'
Not once since he woke up. He only seemed to be a bit surprised but that was the moment he woke up. But no there was no struggle, no complaint, not even any questions asked just silence
Thalen slowly stood up
'What kind of kid wakes up tied up like this and just… watches?'
For a brief moment their eyes met
Soren's expression remained blank
Thalen turned away and walked back toward the others, but the strange thought stayed in the back of his mind
The boy didn't look like someone who had just been captured and he began to think more
'Maybe I am thinking too much about this, but there must have been a reason his bounty was so high, other than the crimes that he did. Something is off about this. We'll have to be careful'
His eyes drifted back to Soren one last time
The boy's face was calm, almost detached, as if he had already accepted the situation and moved on from it
Thalen looked away again
The thought settled firmly in his mind now
'It feels like we chained up someone else entirely'